This invention relates to a tilt mechanism for marine propulsion devices and more particularly to an improved tilt and trim unit for an outboard drive.
As is well known, outboard drives such as outboard motors and the outboard drive unit of an inboard-outboard assembly are normally pivotal about a horizontally disposed axis. Pivotal movement about this axis is employed to provide a trim adjustment for the position of the outboard drive and also so as to permit the outboard drive to be tilted up clear of the water. For convenience, it has been proposed to employ hydraulic arrangements for moving the outboard drive both through the trim adjustment and also for tilting the outboard drive up out of the water. Many of these hydraulic tilt and trim assemblies use a trim cylinder having a piston that engages a portion of the outboard drive and is effective to pivot it through a small range of trim adjustment positions. A further hydraulic cylinder is normally employed and which is generally connected to both the transom of the watercraft and to the outboard drive for raising the outboard drive to a tilted up position. From the nature of the prior art arrangements, it is necessary to have the piston rod of the trim cylinder in mere abutting relationship with the outboard drive. As a result, there is a likelihood of relative movement between the drive and the piston rod, particularly when it is in its extreme positions, which can result in noise, wear and other associated problems.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved tilt and trim unit for a marine drive.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified tilt and trim unit that will not result in the generation of noise and in which wear is minimized.